The Yanwills

THEYANWILLS- An indiars ivtotTtant ; ' ,ta %1 OW. to4,-.- The YAMIMIS Indbin Romance ILLUSTRATED WITH SKETCHES BY FRED G. COOPER J. C. COOPER Vf}102 AND FrDLMFER 'rvcctr..Lr, OREGON Copyright 1902, 113, J. C. Cooper. Allrights reserved AL'IdINNVILLE NEWS PRINT M'MPN1'1LLE, ORE. TO MY GOOD WIPE AND HER DROTHER, PROF. W. J. SPILLMAN, FOR E::CODRAGEXIENT A_ND HELP. PREFAOR. 1Some people fail to see anything but savage 'cruelty and degradation is the American Indian Others can see back to the-time when our own ancestors were mere savages, and can see the finer human instincts in the earliest develop- ments of the race.I have hunted for the bet- ter part in the Indian, and the struggles and trails of savage life are told as I have seen them. Many of the myths and rites of Indians are ephemeral, and were changed at the whim of the leader.The legends, although claimed to be handed down through generations, were of- ten colored by the imagination to snit the fancy of the narrator. Some of the incidents related in this story may be of historic in- terest.The grave of Hassiwa,in the foot hills northwest of McMinnville, is that of a noted Indian scout and warrior.The legend of the haunted Harrison Lake, near Broad- meads, is familiar to the settlers in that vi- cinity. The battlefield of Tonvolieu, one half mile north of the lake, is yet in evidence, as the skulls, bones and battle axes are turned to the surfaceevery year by the farmer who owns the land where itis located.The In- dian language sometimes quoted to emphasize certain passages, although used in the jargon of the earlier settlers and trappers, is pure In- dian dialect.See Smithsonian Miscei. Col. No. 161. 1803. McMinnville, Oregon, January 16, Mi. THE AUTHOR. THE YAMH1LLS INDIAN ROMANCI3 CHAPTER L Home of Ilassiwa. Hassiwa unstrung his bow.His young and faithful companion, Thera, was dressing the deer that had been killed by his arrow.They were near the center of a beautiful valley, with miles of waving grass and flowers, and an occasional cluster of ash and maple trees along the streams.Here and there rose a tall fir among the other trees.There was an abundance of game everywheregrouse,phe,as- ants, quail, ducks, geese, deer, elk and bear. Hassiwa noticed that the birds and animals paid little attention to him. They merely stepped out of his way, or flew a short dis- tance and alighted with a vexed chatter at being disturbed.The deer were easily killed by the most primitive weapons. He saw the ex- tensive fields, blue with the flowers of the suc- culent camas, and observed that the ground was mellow and soft for digging. The wap- ate was abundant in the swales. TUZ YAMII.ILLS The swarthy hunter looked around over the scene and remarked; "Kies° illahee." (Good country.) "Nawitka,"(Yes, )replied the woman. "Nika raitlite," (I stay, )concluded Hass- iwa. The locality was indeed inviting, and the decision to tarry here was natural. The country was a vast storehouse, filled with abundant suppliesfor all the wants of the red man.It was a new field untouched. When Hassiwa made up his simple mind that it was good enough in which to "mitlite," Thera understood that he would not return to his former tribal relations beyondthe southern mountains, and she merely gave a grunt of assent. Hassiwa was a wealthy old warrior of the tribe of the Umpquas, who had become tired of war. He had bought Thera, and the entire Yam- hill country, for the purpose of spending his remaining years in peace and comfort. This NMS long before the Oregon country was known to white men. The place selected for the new home was on the north bank of the South Yamhill river, about seven miles above -where the city of Mc- Minnville now stands.Here they slept the summer months away; makingoccasional trips to the coast mountains, a few miles dis- tant for cedar bark to build their hut, and to TWO BABY GIRLS 7 the coast, fifty miles away, for shell fish. Thera provided the camas and wapato, and clre.,.sed and dried the meat and fish.In the springtime a wee dusky maiden canie to them, and they called her Shanseppi.Thera's toil was not great.She was industrious, and was glad to have this added care.The little one was company in the journeys to the mountains and the camas fields.She was a welcome addition to the rude bark tent.Shanseppi added no burdens to the shoulders of Hassiwa, and he was content to have Thera enjoy the little one's presence. The moons went by until they left a few short yearsbehind.Another little dusky maiden came to the habitation of Hassiwa and Thera, and Thera called the little one Tlynpe. She was pleased to give two such lovely daughters toward the founding of the tribe of Efassiwa. But llassiwa was not pleased.His dominion was all of the beautiful valley of the ramhill.He desired a son worthy of himself to succeed him, and raise up a people great among the tribes of the West. Hassiwa was growing old; and in a pouting mood he left the Indian woman and her two pappooses, and buried himself in the gloomy mountain forests for one whole moon. When he returned, he placed an embargo on the addition of any more females to the family tree, in this emphatic language: THE TdEHILLII "Nika wake tika team klootehmen."(I no want little girls.) Thera understood, but she kept her two daughters who grew to be sprightly maidens. She taught them habits of industry and their hands to do cunning work. They made pretty clothing of the skins of animals, and orna- mented their comely persons with the pretty shells and brilliant pebbles from the ocean beach.They were gentle and lovely, and made playmates of the little fawns and birds, whose voices they learned to imitate.Their mother told them of the noble braves that would come that way some day and take them to their own homes. But the two maidens loved their native land. They besought their mother to keep them in their own country, and not sep- arate them, as they loved each otherdear- ly. Thera was gifted with feminine tact; when Shanseppi and Tlynpewerefully grown, shedressed them in their most attractivecostumes and put on them theprettiestcrude IMMIX brnameats that her cunning sand could de- vise, and set them to attend the wants of Hes- siwaHe watched the movements of. the maidens for a time, and closely observed their coming and going.Then he went away into the mountain forest alone,but he returned when the half moon was rising. No Indian had visited the hut of Hassles* in all the years of his sojournin that country. His native tribe was in the land of the 'limp- quas.He clad himself fora journey to his native valley.Then he pondered some days. It is the Indian custom, when traveling on a peaceful expedition, to take the family and the necessary household goods. He was afraid that if he took his daughters with him they might be appropriated by some of his former people or the intervening tribes.If he went alone, it could not be done with becoming dig- nity.His old friends might have forgotten him and would distrust hismission.Hoe wanted some noble young braves to se* his hunting grounds and his daughters. One day while Hassiwa was pondering over what course he should pursue, an - Indian ap- peared suddenly at his hut.He came with the accustomed stealth of a scout on the war- path, and Hassiwa did not see the man until he was within a few feet of him.He was in war paint, and well armed.He held a atone hatchet in his hand, ready for action if necessary.Hassiem's Indian diplomacy of long 10 THE YA3f HILLS ago came back to him at once.He looked over the new corner without showing the least sign of anxiety.The two gazed until they had taken each other's measure.They found out all that it was possible to learn without speaking.Then Hassiwa asked the simple question: "Ikta Mika tika?"(What you want?) The new arrival replied to this question with caution, and he watched the effects of his words as he spoke. "I am Nevyo," he said."I am a courier from chief Niandi, whose people are at 'war. The Salapooas and the eastern tribes are at war with the tribes along the coast." . TWO SCOUTS 11 "Where is the bow of Niandi?" asked Has- siwa. "It is with the coast people, and 1 seek allies," be replied, looking straight into the face of the old warrior. "Klose," (Good.) replied Hassiwa. This amounted to declaring an alliance, and Nevyo hung his stone hatchet to his belt. He was a daring runner, and had been selected for the mission of arousing and uniting the coast tribes as quickly as possible. He had visited the tribes to the south, and was now on his way north to the Kiliamooks, Tlatsops, Chinooks, Twalitas, Multnomahs, and all other tribes south of the Columbia river. As Neryo came over the foot hills to the south west, he saw the smoke of Hassiwa's campfire, and decided to investigate. He was active and well formed for a coast Indian, but his face was uninviting; when Them gave him food, she decided that he was not the kind of man she wanted to carry away her daughters, and she was glad that they were absent.

Load more